The hearing addressed maritime infrastructure vulnerabilities in the Arctic, and included testimony from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and external experts, as well. In his opening remarks, Rear Admiral Smith mentioned NOAA's role in assisting the USCG's response to oil spills, with a specific mention of Arctic ERMA. He also mentioned the August 2018 Alaska North Slope Mutual Aid Deployment (MAD) Oil Spill Exercise, and that NOAA is investing in science to better understand the behavior of oil in ice infested environments. Other than that, the question and answer section largely focused on NOAA's support for navigation services, as well as its role in environmental compliance in USACE activities. 

For further information, contact Yael.Seid-Green@noaa.gov.

Return to OR&R Weekly Report.